His Own Path
Dr. Eric Wright felt the pull — but he did not know where it would take him.
Wright was just wrapping up his studies at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, where he earned a degree in poultry science, and he figured he knew exactly what was next — or, more specifically, what three things could be next.
“In the poultry industry, there’s really three big tracks,” Wright said. “There’s the science aspect, the business aspect, and the actual field production, like farms and chickens and stuff.”
Wright’s academic advisor at UA had a background in the science end of things, and with more and more time in the lab, Wright began to consider where this burgeoning interest would take him.
“I started working in his labs and then took more science classes,” Wright said. “Then I started hanging out with more premed students. That sort of got me in the medicine field.”
Wright’s life reads like Dr. Seuss’ Oh, The Places You’ll Go! Having discovered medical science by semiaccident, Wright took the MCAT and eventually graduated from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock as a Barton Scholar. That was good enough to land Wright a six-year residency at Stanford University Medical Center in California, where he learned the ins and outs of reconstructive and cosmetic surgery.
From there, Wright went to Boston for a fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital. There, he studied the latest in breast cancer reconstruction before eventually returning to Arkansas to found his own private practice, Wright Plastic Surgery & Med Spa in Little Rock.
For someone who figured his path would lead to a farm, he had come a long way. As for what led him to cosmetic surgery, Wright simply got hooked on the concept of making his patients feel good.
“What led me into plastic surgery is that we’re the happy surgical field,” Wright said. “For the most part, surgeries aren’t fun. People don’t want surgery. This is one of the few aspects of medicine where people want to have surgery. It fits more of my personality from the standpoint of how I love anatomy, and I love great patient outcomes.”
At Wright’s practice, there are several roads to great outcomes. Not only does Wright offer well-known plastic surgery procedures such as tummy tucks and breast augmentation, but patients can also avail themselves of advanced med spa treatments such as Botox injections, facial chemical peels and laser skin treatment. Wright has also brought relief to many as one of the only surgeons in the state to perform migraine surgery.
Cosmetic surgery has also allowed Wright to build a life with his wife, Mandy, and their children, and that is no small thing. The life of a surgeon can feel like a roller coaster set on fast-forward in which emergencies take precedence over personal plans. Wright said he tries to maintain balance, but he is also committed to putting in the time necessary to consult with each and every patient. Wright’s dedication especially shines through with patients who fly in from elsewhere — he starts off with a virtual consultation, and then his staff makes sure the logistics of travel and lodging all run smoothly.
“My wife would say I need to slow down even more,” Wright said, “but a year ago, we opened up our own accredited surgery center at my office. That allows us to control everything as far as the scheduling and timing of surgery and kind of the whole journey of the patient.”
Each and every one of those journeys is different, and Wright has handled everything from simple cosmetic touch-ups to repairing wounds caused by injuries. In many ways, he remains very much similar to the college student he used to be, with a keen interest in the science of medicine.
“Our practice continues to expand by word of mouth,” Wright said. “Patients may be motivated to do something, but surgery is still surgery. It’s a little bit of a scary thing, but when they see how other patients had great outcomes, that does make it fun.
Photo provided by Wright Plastic Surgery & Med Spa
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